Attic ventilator



Jan. 3, 1939- F; LARSON I 2,142,821

ATTIC VENTILATOR Filed. Sept. 7, 1957 Wed 27/4 4/014/1'04 Patented Jan.3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFliIE Claims.

This invention relates to attic ventilators.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a sheet metal atticventilator in the form of a casing provided with flat sheet metallouvres 5 that are level or horizontally disposed and parallel to eachother, and permanently secured to the, casing so as to provide a maximumarea for the unobstructed flow of air through said ventilator.

Another object of the invention relates to forming the louvres ofprogressively increasing width arranged in a tier with the widest louvreuppermost, and to provide at the base of the ventilator casing a waterreceiving pan, the water collected therein draining out through suitabledrainage openings provided at the front of the ventilator casing.

Numerous other objects and advantages of this invention will become moreapparent as the following description proceeds, particularly whenreference is had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:-

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the attic ventilator showing aportion of a screen mounted 26 in the front opening of the ventilator.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the attic ventilator taken on line2--2, Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the ventilator is generally indicated by thereference character Ill 30 and comprises a sheet metal casing ll ofboxlike form having a top wall l2, bottom wall l3, and side walls I4,with a front opening l5 and a rear opening It. The casing may befabricated of sheet metal in any desired manner and 35 may be of anysuitable shape and size, and in the preferred embodiment is ofrectangular box-like form as above indicated. At its front opening IS,the casing H is provided at the edges thereof with laterally extendingflanges of uniform width 40 to define a frame adapted to abut thesurface of the wall I8 immediately adjacent the opening l9 providedtherein through which the ventilator casing II is inserted in the mannerWell known, the frame ll serving as a means for 45 attaching the casingH to said wall through the medium of any suitable fastening means (notshown) such as bolts, screws or nails. In the rear opening l5, ifdesired, may be mounted a motor driven fan to provide a forced draftven- 50 tilation.

The lower side of the frame extends above the bottom wall I 3 of thecasing as at 20, and at the rear of the bottom wall l3 there is provideda back wall portion 2|, said bottom wall l3, frame 5 portion 20, backwall portion 2|, and side walls l4 defining a water receiving receptacleor pan 22, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Preferably thebottom wall I3 is given a slight slope downwardly from the back wallportion 2| to the frame H, the frame portion 20 being provided withopenings 23 through which water dripping into the pan 22 can drain out.

Arranged within the ventilator casing II are a plurality of louvres 24formed of sheet metal. Each louvre extends the full width of the casing10 H and is fixedly connected at its ends to the side walls M of thecasing in any desired manner as by riveting or soldering. The louvres 24are each formed cf a progressively increasing width with the smallestlouvre 24a at the bottom, adjacent 15 the bottom sloped wall l3, and thelargest louvre 2th at the top, adjacent the top wall l2, the louvresbeing arranged in parallel horizontal relationship, spaced equally apartand with their front edges 25 in the same vertical plane spaced 2Oinwardly from the outer surface of the frame H as clearly shown inFigure 2. It will thus be seen, that starting with the lowermost louvre24a, each succeeding higher louvre at its inside edge 26 overlaps theinside edge of the louvre direct- 25 ly beneath it. Thus in the event ofrain, whatever water entering the casing I will move in wardly along thelouvres 24 and drip off of the inside edges 26 into the pan 22. Byvirtue of the overhanging relation of the louvres 24 there is 30 nointerference to the water dripping off of the inside edges 26 into thepan 22, the water collected therein quickly draining out of the slots 23because of the inclination of the bottom wall l3. The back wall portion2| of the pan 22 will positively prevent any water from coming into theinterior of the room, attic, etc., in which the ventilator casingprojects.

In order to prevent insects, dirt, etc., from entering the ventilatorcasing the front opening i5 is provided with a removable screen 28suitably placed within said opening and secured therein in any desiredmanner, only a portion of said screen being shown within said opening.Obviously the screen 28 may be replaced with any other form of closuresuch as glass or metal in the event it is desired to dispense with theventilator function.

It will be noted that the parallel horizontal relationship of thelouvres 22 provides a maximum open area for the unobstructed passage ofair through the ventilator, the thickness of the sheet metal louvresbeing negligible as compared to the total area of the opening IS. Thelouvres 24 being permanently fixed in the parallel horizontal relationshown can never become inoperative, thus providing a ventilator thatrequires no attention when once placed in position, that is fool andtrouble proof and which can never get out of order. While the inventionhas been described in detail, it is to be clearly understood that thedescription is for the purposes of illustration only and is notdefinitive of the limits of the inventive idea. The right is reserved tomake such changes in the details of construction and arrangement ofparts as will fall within the purview of the attached claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A ventilator comprising a box-like casing having a front and rearopening, a plurality of flat louvres extending the full width of saidcasing across said front opening, arranged in parallel horizontalrelationship and permanently secured to opposed end walls of saidcasing, the base of said casing being formed to provide a waterreceiving and draining pan, said louvres being each so constructed andarranged that the inner edges of said louvres will lie in a planeinclined towards said front opening so that each louvre at its inneredge overhangs the inner edge of the next lower louvre to provide anuninterrupted drop from each said inner edge to said draining pan.

2. A ventilator comprising a sheet metal boxlike casing having a frontand rear opening, a plurality of flat sheet metal louvres extending thefull width of said casing across said front opening, arranged inparallel horizontal relationship and permanently secured to opposed endwalls of said casing, said louvres being of progressively increasingwidth and so arranged that the narrowest louvre is located adjacent thebottom wall of said casing and the widest louvre is located adjacent thetop wall of said casing.

3. In the ventilator as set forth in claim 2,

wherein the arrangement of said louvres is such that the front edgesthereof are disposed in the same vertical plane inwardly of the frontopening to provide a screen or closure receiving opening, and the insideedges of said louvres lying in a plane inclined downwardly and forwardlywith reference to said casing.

4. A ventilator comprising a sheet metal boxlike casing having a frontand rear opening, a plurality of flat sheet metal louvres extending thefull width of said casing across said front opening, arranged inparallel horizontal relationship and permanently secured to opposed endwalls of said casing, said louvres being of progressively increasingwidth and so arranged that the narrowest louvre is located adjacent thebottom wall of said casing and the widest louvre is located adjacent thetop wall of said casing, the arrangement being such that the front edgesof said louvres lie in a vertical plane and with the inside edge portionof each of said louvres overhanging the inside edge portion of thelouvre beneath the same, said box-like casing providing a waterreceiving pan at its base having a downwardly and forwardly slopingbottom whereby water impinging on said louvres will drip off of theinside edges thereof into said pan, said pan having drainage meansprovided at the forward wall thereof, through which said water can flow.

5. In the ventilator as set forth in claim 4, said louvre front edgesbeing disposed inwardly of the edge of the front opening in said casingto define a screen or closure receiving opening, a frame integral withsaid casing surrounding the front opening therein, the lower part ofsaid frame constituting the front wall of said pan and being formed witha plurality of openings providing said drainage means.

FRED EDWARD LARSON.

